1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is applicable to a semiconductor device and more particularly, to a semiconductor device as a module including a transistor for constituting an inverter and an integrated circuit for controlling the transistor, for example.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 24 is a circuit diagram exemplifying the structure of a power module 501 for driving inverter (hereinafter referred to simply as xe2x80x9cinverter modulexe2x80x9d) in the background art. The inverter module 501 includes six insulated gate bipolar transistors (hereinafter referred to simply as xe2x80x9ctransistorxe2x80x9d) constituting an inverter and switching control circuits HVIC1, HVIC2, HVIC3, LVIC. The switchings of the three out of the six transistors arranged on the side of upper arms are controlled by the switching control circuits HVIC1, HVIC2 and HVIC3. The switchings of the three arranged on the side of lower arms are controlled by the switching control circuit LVIC.
FIG. 25 is an outline view illustrating arrangement of pins of the inverter module 501. In FIG. 25, the pins are respectively designated in conformity with the terminals illustrated in FIG. 24. Pins 502d, 502f are arranged on one side and pins 502b are arranged on the other side. The pins 502d are connected to a control circuit not shown, and the pins 502b are connected to a load and power source not shown. The pins 502f are not required to have connection to any one of the control circuit, load or power source. Rather, each pin 502f serves as an intermediary for connection in the inverter module. The example of this configuration is introduced in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-138343, for example.
A bootstrap voltage is applied across each bootstrap input end VB and load side output end VS of the switching control circuits HVIC1, HVIC2 and HVIC3. The bootstrap voltage is set to be 600 bolts, for example. As a result, terminals VUFB, VUFS, VVFB, VVFS, VWFB and VWFS each connected to the bootstrap input end VB or the load side output end VS also receive voltage of about 600 volts applied thereto. In contrast, each of the other terminals receives voltage that is on the order, at most, of 15 volts.
Therefore, creepage distance between each of the terminals VUFB, VUFS, VVFB, VVFS, VWFB, VWFS and each of the other terminals should be increased in terms of insulation. In view of this, the inverter module 501 includes recessed portions 503 provided between each of the terminals VUFB, VUFS, VVFB, VVFS, VWFB, VWFS and each of the other terminals.
However, a pair of the terminals VUFB, VUFS, a pair of terminals VVFB, VVFS, a pair of terminals VWFB, VWFS and the other terminals are alternately arranged, thereby requiring a large number of recessed portions 503. This is one of the obstacles to downsizing.
When the inverter module 501 is mounted on a substrate, further, an interconnection pattern receiving a relatively high voltage and an interconnection pattern receiving a relatively low voltage are likely to be mixed on the substrate. This may result in the undesirable increase in inductance that is parasitic on the interconnection pattern.
A first aspect of the present invention is directed to an inverter module comprising a plurality of terminals arranged along a first direction at a predetermined terminal pitch and the plurality of terminals form a plurality of rows. In the inverter module according to the first aspect, the plurality of terminals include at least one load side output terminal, the plurality of terminals include at least one high-potential side control input terminal and at least one low-potential side control input terminal, each of the at least one load side output terminal is bent to extend toward a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and both the at least one high-potential side control input terminal and the at least one low-potential side control input terminal satisfy at least either one of first and second conditions. The first condition requires bending and extending toward a third direction opposite to the second direction and the second condition requires having distance of three times the terminal pitch or more from the at least one load side output terminal.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the inverter module according to the first aspect, both the at least one high-potential side control input terminal and the at least one low-potential side control input terminal satisfy the first condition.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the inverter module according to the first aspect, the at least one high-potential side control input terminal includes a plurality of high-potential side control input terminals, and each of the plurality of high-potential side control input terminals satisfies the first condition.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the inverter module according to the first aspect, the at least one low-potential side control input terminal includes a plurality of low-potential side control input terminals, and each of the plurality of low-potential side control input terminals satisfies the second condition.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the inverter module according to the first aspect, the at least one load side output terminal includes a plurality of load side output terminals.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the inverter module according to the first aspect, the plurality of terminals further include at least one bootstrap input terminal that is bent to extend toward a direction orthogonal to the first direction, and both the at least one high-potential side control input terminal and the at least one low-potential side control input terminal satisfy at least either one of third and fourth conditions as follows. The third condition requires bending and extending toward a direction opposite to the direction toward which the at least one bootstrap input terminal is bent to extend and the fourth condition requires having distance of three times the terminal pitch or more from the at least one bootstrap input terminal.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the inverter module according to the sixth aspect, both the at least one high-potential side control input terminal and the at least one low-potential side control input terminal satisfy the third condition.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the inverter module according to the sixth aspect, the at least one bootstrap input terminal includes a plurality of bootstrap input terminals.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the inverter module according to the sixth aspect, the at least one high-potential side control input terminal includes a plurality of high-potential side control input terminals, and each of the plurality of high-potential side control input terminals satisfies the third condition.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the inverter module according to the first aspect, the plurality of terminals further include at least one high-potential side control output terminal arranged between the at least one low-potential side control input terminal and the at least one load side output terminal, and a tip of the at least one high-potential side control output terminal is cut to a length shorter than tips of both the at least one high-potential side control input terminal and the at least one low-potential side control input terminal.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the inverter module according to the tenth aspect, the at least one low-potential side control input terminal includes a plurality of low-potential side control input terminals, and each of the plurality of low-potential side control input terminals satisfies the second condition.
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the inverter module according to the first aspect further comprises inverters provided in response to at least one phase. In the inverter module according to the twelfth aspect, the plurality of terminals further include a high-potential side power source terminal connected to each of the inverters and at least one low-potential side power source terminal connected to each of the inverters, and both the high-potential side power source terminal and the at least one low-potential side power source terminal satisfy the first condition.
According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the inverter module according to the tenth aspect, the at least one low-potential side power source terminal is a single terminal connected to each of the inverters, and the high-potential side power source terminal and the single terminal are arranged adjacent to each other.
According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the inverter module according to the thirteenth aspect further comprises a switching control circuit for controlling switching of one of the inverters. In the inverter module according to the fourteenth aspect, the plurality of terminals further include a short-circuit detecting terminal connected to a short-circuit detecting end of the switching control circuit and a ground terminal connected to a ground end of the switching control circuit, and the short-circuit detecting terminal and the ground terminal are arranged adjacent to each other.
According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the inverter module according to the first aspect further comprises a plurality of switching control circuits respectively provided in response to a plurality of phases. In the inverter module according to the fifteenth aspect, the plurality of terminals further include a ground terminal for establishing mutual connection between each ground end of the plurality of switching control circuits.
According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the inverter module according to the first aspect further comprises a plurality of switching control circuits respectively provided in response to a plurality of phases. In the inverter module according to the sixteenth aspect, the plurality of terminals further include a short-circuit detecting terminal for establishing mutual connection between each short-circuit detecting end of the plurality of switching control circuits.
According to the inverter module of the first through fourth aspects of the present invention, when the first condition is satisfied, creepage distance is increased between the positions receiving high voltage applied thereto on a substrate having connection to the ends of the plurality of terminals. When the second condition is satisfied, creepage distance is increased as well between these positions at the bottoms of the plurality of terminals on the side of a semiconductor device.
According to the inverter module of the fifth aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of load side output terminals is bent to extend toward the second direction. As a result, on a substrate for holding the inverter module mounted thereon, interconnection between the load side output terminal and a load is facilitated.
According to the inverter module of the sixth through ninth aspects of the present invention, when the third condition is satisfied, creepage distance is increased between the positions receiving high voltage applied thereto on the substrate having connection to the ends of the plurality of terminals. When the fourth condition is satisfied, creepage distance is increased as well between these positions at the bottoms of the plurality of terminals on the side of the semiconductor device.
According to the inverter module of the tenth and eleventh aspects of the present invention, a distance between the low-potential side control input terminal and the load side output terminal can be three times the terminal pitch or more. Further, the tip of the high-potential side control output terminal is cut to a short length. As a result, on the substrate for holding the inverter module mounted thereon, it is possible to secure creepage distance.
According to the inverter module of the twelfth aspect of the present invention, both the high-potential side power source terminal and the low-potential side power source terminal to be connected to the inverter are bent to extend toward the third direction. As a result, on the substrate for holding the inverter module mounted thereon, interconnection between these terminals and a power source for supplying power to the inverter is facilitated.
According to the inverter module of the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, on the substrate for holding the inverter module mounted thereon, the lengths of interconnect lines for establishing connections to the power source for supplying power to the inverter is facilitated. As a result, reduction in inductance parasitic on these interconnect lines is realized.
According to the inverter module of the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, interconnection to an object to be connected to the short-circuit detecting terminal and the ground terminal such as a protection circuit for the short-circuit detecting terminal is simplified.
According to the inverter module of the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, even when the inverter module is applicable to the plurality of phases, the number of ground terminals and the number of terminals to be drawn to the outside are reduced.
According to the inverter module of the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, even when the inverter module is applicable to the plurality of phases, the number of short-circuit detecting terminals and the number of terminals to be drawn to the outside are reduced.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to increase creepage distance while realizing downsizing of an inverter module. It is a further object of the present invention to facilitate interconnection to a load and also to a power source.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.